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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wind — moving air
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. game — a match
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — size or range
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. scale — in music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. plane — a tool
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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