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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 116 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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. row — to paddle
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cell — a phone
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — a line
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — to bend
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. season — in sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. season — of the year
  22. lean — thin
  23. cell — in biology
  24. perch — the fish

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