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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · stick · march · nail · perch · mine · toast · pop

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pop — to visit
  4. march — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. mine — for digging
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. toast — bread
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. march — the month
  18. pop — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. march — the month
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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