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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. plane — a tool
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. root — of a plant
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. perch — the fish
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. root — of a word
  16. board — a committee
  17. root — the cause
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — to get on
  21. kick — in football
  22. staff — a stick
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. staff — employees

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