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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. squash — the sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stem — to come from
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. leaves — to go away

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