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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spring — a coil
  4. season — of the year
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. can — a tin
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spring — of water
  11. can — to be able to
  12. spring — the season
  13. season — in sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. can — a tin
  22. bat — the animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rest — what's left

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