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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — help
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. plane — a tool
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. hand — in cards
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. toast — bread
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. perch — the fish
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kick — in football
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kick — with a leg

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