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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to sink
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ball — a great time
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. ball — a dance
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spring — a coil
  17. hand — help
  18. dip — a sauce

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