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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 124 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. shower — to wash
  3. craft — a skill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — a tool
  6. craft — boats
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. season — of the year
  11. fall — to drop
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. season — in sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bark — to shout
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. shower — rain
  24. plane — an aircraft

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