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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. cue — for pool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. degree — from a university
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. can — to be able to
  14. perch — the fish
  15. can — a tin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lie — to recline
  18. can — a tin
  19. cue — a signal
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. degree — an amount
  22. stem — to come from
  23. degree — temperature
  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