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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rash — hasty
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — a trail

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