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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — part of the head
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. scale — in music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. root — the cause
  11. staff — a stick
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — of a word
  16. stand — to bear
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lean — thin
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. perch — the fish
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. staff — employees

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