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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. key — for a lock
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. key — the most important part
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mug — to rob
  14. shower — to wash
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rest — a break
  17. mug — a cup
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. shower — rain
  20. rash — a series
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. key — in music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rash — on the skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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