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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. can — to be able to
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. net — after costs
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. firm — decided
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — a tin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rest — a break
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — steady
  17. plane — a tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — a company
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. can — a tin
  24. fan — to cool the air

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