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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. perch — the fish
  7. foot — a measure
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wound — an injury
  10. squash — to crush
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bore — to drill
  17. squash — the sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bowl — a dish

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