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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spell — letters
  11. fine — all right
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spell — magic
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fine — a penalty

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