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

Word bank: stick · race · plane · hide · content · perch · suit · lean

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. suit — to fit
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. content — happy
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lean — thin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. race — a contest
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. perch — the fish
  21. content — the amount
  22. race — humankind
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. race — the arms race

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