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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mine — for digging
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chair — a leader
  8. suit — in cards
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. suit — clothes
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — a company
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com