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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bat — the animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. suit — clothes
  11. plane — a tool
  12. root — of a plant
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. vault — a safe
  16. root — of a word
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. root — the cause
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — to fit
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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