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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bank — for money
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fall — the season
  8. bank — for money
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. stem — to come from
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. scale — in music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. kid — child
  20. scale — size or range
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bank — of a river
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. scale — for weighing

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