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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. clip — to cut
  5. scale — in music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. charge — electricity
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. stem — to come from
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. clip — a video
  19. charge — in control
  20. clip — for paper
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. charge — a price

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