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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. staff — a stick
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pit — a hole
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stem — to come from
  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