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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. object — an aim
  7. staff — employees
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stem — to come from
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — a tool
  15. staff — a stick
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. ball — a great time
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — to sink
  24. staff — employees

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