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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.

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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. present — there
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rash — a series
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stem — to come from
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cold — an illness
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. fork — a garden tool

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