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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. perch — the fish
  3. shower — to wash
  4. plane — a tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. track — a song
  7. track — a path
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. current — of water
  11. file — a line of people
  12. track — to keep track
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. current — happening now
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. file — a document
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. current — electric
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. file — a tool
  24. shower — rain

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