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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. spring — a coil
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — of water
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — the season
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. staff — employees
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. staff — a stick
  20. plane — a tool
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. scale — size or range
  23. lean — to bend
  24. nail — on a finger

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