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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — to paddle
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mark — a grade
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. row — a line
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mark — a trace
  17. plane — a tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cabinet — ministers

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