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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — to drop
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. key — in music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. deal — to handle
  15. squash — to crush
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — the season
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. perch — the fish
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. key — the most important part

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