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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pit — a hole
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. dip — to sink
  5. present — the time now
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. present — a gift
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. present — there
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. rush — hurry
  14. can — to be able to
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chair — a leader
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — the fish
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. can — a tin

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