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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a tool
  10. land — a country
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — the time now
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. land — to come down
  15. stem — to come from
  16. file — a document
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. present — there
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — the fish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. land — ground

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