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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — to drop
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fall — the season
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. scale — size or range
  14. snap — to click
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — in music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pit — in a race
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stem — to come from
  24. ruler — for measuring

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