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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. spring — of water
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spring — the season
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. fine — high quality
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bound — tied together
  21. fine — all right
  22. bound — certain
  23. spring — a coil
  24. perch — for a bird

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