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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. plane — a tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. row — a line
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — a series
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — hasty
  15. key — in music
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — of water
  22. row — to paddle
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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