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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. perch — the fish
  5. charge — electricity
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. kid — child
  10. plane — a tool
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bound — obliged
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pass — a permit
  17. clip — a video
  18. charge — a price
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. charge — in control
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — of water
  24. bound — certain

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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