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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. perch — the fish
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. shower — rain
  8. current — of water
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. snap — to click
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — to come from
  15. current — happening now
  16. shower — to wash
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rock — music

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