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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 120 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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. cue — a signal
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. march — music
  6. plane — a tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cue — a hint
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. root — of a word
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lie — to recline
  22. root — the cause
  23. prune — to trim
  24. perch — for a bird

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