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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. land — ground
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. land — to come down
  11. roll — a list
  12. land — a country
  13. cap — a hat
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. roll — a cake
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pitcher — a jug

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