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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bound — tied together
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bound — certain
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — to rob
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bound — obliged
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chip — to eat
  24. perch — the fish

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