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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stem — to come from
  8. charge — electricity
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. perch — the fish
  13. spell — magic
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. spell — a short time
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. wake — a trail
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. squash — the sport

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