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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. roll — a list
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. last — to go on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. perch — the fish
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rush — hurry
  16. shower — to wash
  17. last — finally
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. last — final
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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