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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. season — in sport
  3. ball — a dance
  4. plane — a tool
  5. rock — music
  6. season — of the year
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bound — obliged
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. perch — the fish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bound — certain
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bound — tied together
  24. plane — an aircraft

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