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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — rain
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. shower — to wash
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pass — a permit
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. charge — in control
  17. pit — in a race
  18. cold — an illness
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. charge — a price
  23. perch — the fish
  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