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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. last — to go on
  4. bass — low music
  5. present — there
  6. perch — the fish
  7. last — finally
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mate — a partner
  16. present — the time now
  17. bass — the fish
  18. last — final
  19. fall — the season
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. mate — a friend
  24. present — a gift

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