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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. perch — the fish
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. roll — a list
  14. chest — a box
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. board — a committee
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. roll — a cake

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