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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ground — a position
  5. perch — the fish
  6. kid — child
  7. rush — hurry
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — high quality
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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