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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — in sport
  6. fall — the season
  7. net — for catching
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bass — the fish
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — after costs
  24. arm — part of the body

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