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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — rain
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wax — to grow
  6. perch — the fish
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — to recline
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. drill — army training
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. drill — the tool
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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