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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. season — of the year
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bound — certain
  16. snap — to click
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bound — obliged
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. season — in sport
  23. current — electric
  24. current — happening now

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