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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cap — a lid
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. season — of the year
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — the fish
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — in sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cell — a phone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cell — in a prison

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