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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — employees
  4. bound — obliged
  5. track — a song
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. plane — a tool
  10. last — finally
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — employees
  14. track — to keep track
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. track — a path
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — the animal
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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