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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fall — to drop
  5. plane — a tool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fall — to drop
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — in cards
  13. clip — to cut
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — a video
  16. fall — the season
  17. suit — to fit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. suit — clothes

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