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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pit — a hole
  3. stem — to come from
  4. can — a tin
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. drill — army training
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. pit — in a race
  17. perch — the fish
  18. drill — the tool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bound — certain
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bound — obliged

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