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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. firm — steady
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stem — to come from
  18. firm — decided
  19. prune — to trim
  20. ball — a dance
  21. firm — a company
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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