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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — to come from
  5. prune — to trim
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. perch — the fish
  11. march — music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wind — moving air
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. squash — to crush
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. prune — to trim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. squash — the sport

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