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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. board — a committee
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — a position
  7. suit — clothes
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. ground — crushed
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ground — the earth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bank — of a river
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — a flat piece

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