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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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Word bank
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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. perch — the fish
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. field — for sport
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. field — a subject
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rush — hurry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. field — farmland
  19. scale — in music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — to hurry

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