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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rock — a stone
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fork — in a road
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rock — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. tear — from crying
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stem — a stem cell

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