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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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. pit — a hole
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cell — in biology
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lean — thin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mine — for digging
  22. plane — a tool
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitcher — a jug

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