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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — a company
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. saw — the tool
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. firm — decided
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. firm — steady
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — a thing
  24. stem — of a plant

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