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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — to sink
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mark — a grade
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mark — a trace
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. prune — to trim

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