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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. capital — money
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — a line
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. swing — music
  13. bound — tied together
  14. capital — a city
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stem — to come from
  20. perch — the fish
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. swing — to play on
  24. bay — a horse colour

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