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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. content — the amount
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. firm — decided
  6. perch — the fish
  7. content — happy
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — steady
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mug — to rob
  15. firm — a company
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mug — a face
  19. rule — government
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. hand — help
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spell — a short time

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