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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spring — the season
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — to protest
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fork — in a road
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. perch — the fish
  13. object — an aim
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. object — a thing
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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