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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chair — a leader
  3. tube — a container
  4. perch — the fish
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. firm — a company
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rash — a series
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. firm — steady
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. snap — to click
  21. firm — decided
  22. rash — hasty
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stem — to come from

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