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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. can — a tin
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. can — to be able to
  5. tube — a container
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. craft — a skill
  12. perch — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — child
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — boats
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kid — to tease
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — there
  23. tube — the underground
  24. perch — for a bird

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