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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. kid — to tease
  8. perch — the fish
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mine — for digging
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. craft — a skill
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. craft — boats
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. snap — to click
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

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