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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. perch — the fish
  3. present — a gift
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. season — in sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — the time now
  14. stem — to come from
  15. row — to paddle
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. season — of the year
  21. present — there
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. row — a line
  24. rush — hurry

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