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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — the animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rule — a law
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. present — there
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cold — not warm
  12. present — the time now
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rule — government
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. drill — the tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. perch — the fish
  22. drill — army training
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bear — to put up with

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