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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. press — to push
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — a publisher
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. plane — a tool
  19. press — newspapers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. perch — for a bird

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