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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. band — a music group
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — the fish
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. band — a ring
  23. scale — in music
  24. stem — of a plant

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