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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lean — to bend
  4. roll — a cake
  5. toast — bread
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. lean — thin
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. perch — the fish
  15. plane — a tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. date — the fruit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. roll — a list

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