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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.

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: bulb · present · fan · plane · mouse · perch · hide · craft

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. present — the time now
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. perch — the fish
  10. craft — a skill
  11. present — a gift
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — a tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. present — there
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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