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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stem — to come from
  6. deal — to handle
  7. net — after costs
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. net — in sport
  11. track — a song
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — for catching
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. rule — to rule out

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