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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pit — in a race
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. tear — from crying
  8. track — to keep track
  9. craft — a skill
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — the fish
  12. craft — boats
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. track — a path
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. last — to go on
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. track — a song
  19. pit — a hole
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — final
  24. tear — to rip

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