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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. tear — to rip
  9. net — in sport
  10. tear — from crying
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kick — in football
  17. perch — the fish
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. net — after costs
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. plane — in geometry

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