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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. perch — the fish
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mug — a face
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. foot — a measure
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mug — a cup

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