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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. spell — a short time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — magic
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stem — to come from
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — to rest against

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