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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fall — to drop
  3. perch — the fish
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fall — the season
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mark — a grade
  11. plane — a tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rock — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rule — government
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. perch — for a bird

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