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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — a company
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — a tool

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