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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. content — the amount
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. perch — the fish
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. net — after costs
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — happening now
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — of water
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. content — happy
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. current — electric
  21. net — in sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rash — a series

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