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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. plane — a tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mug — a cup
  7. club — for dancing
  8. current — of water
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mug — to rob
  11. club — for golf
  12. rock — music
  13. tear — to rip
  14. club — a group
  15. tear — from crying
  16. mug — a face
  17. present — a gift
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — happening now
  20. perch — the fish
  21. current — electric
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. plane — an aircraft

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