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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rule — government
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. plane — a tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — to shout
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rule — a law
  16. perch — the fish
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cell — in biology
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bark — of a tree
  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