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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stem — to come from
  6. cap — a lid
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mug — a cup
  10. shower — to wash
  11. swing — in golf
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. shower — rain
  14. mug — a face
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cap — of ice
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. swing — music
  24. cap — a hat

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