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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. land — a country
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. plane — a tool
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. land — ground
  21. row — a line
  22. land — to come down
  23. kick — in football
  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