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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: bay · leaves · plane · fine · rock · date · firm · perch

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. firm — a company
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. firm — decided
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. firm — steady
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. plane — a tool
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rock — music
  24. leaves — of a tree

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