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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. last — final
  4. squash — the sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. present — a gift
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — to crush
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. perch — the fish
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. last — finally
  17. fine — high quality
  18. present — there
  19. fine — all right
  20. last — to go on
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. present — the time now
  24. perch — for a bird

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