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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. cap — a lid
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wind — moving air
  24. craft — a skill

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