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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — child
  6. perch — the fish
  7. kid — to tease
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cap — a hat
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rock — music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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