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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. game — a match
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — crushed
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — wild animals
  13. row — to paddle
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. ground — the earth
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. ground — a position
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. row — a line
  24. game — a kind of play

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