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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stand — to bear
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stem — to come from
  8. tube — a container
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rest — a break
  17. tube — the underground
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — to breed
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. safe — a strongbox

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