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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lean — thin
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. march — the month
  7. stock — goods
  8. plane — a tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. file — a line of people
  11. march — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lie — to recline
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. file — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. perch — the fish
  22. stock — shares
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. file — a document

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