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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lean — thin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — a company

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