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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. vault — a safe
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. clip — a video
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. can — a tin
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. staff — employees
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. clip — to cut
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. can — a tin
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. clip — for paper
  22. staff — a stick
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stem — to come from

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