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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — the time now
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rash — a series
  8. lie — to recline
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. squash — the sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. present — a gift
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stand — to bear
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. present — there
  22. perch — the fish
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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