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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: chest · lean · perch · key · cabinet · roll · mouse · plane

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. lean — to bend
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. key — in music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. roll — a cake
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — the most important part
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chest — a box

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