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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — hurry
  4. ground — crushed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. firm — steady
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. craft — boats
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — to shout
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. perch — the fish

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