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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — of the year
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — high quality
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cell — in biology
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fine — all right
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. season — in sport
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. vault — a safe
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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