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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stem — to come from
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. charge — in control
  13. plane — a tool
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. craft — boats
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. charge — a price
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. craft — a skill
  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