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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rest — what's left
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rest — a break
  20. root — of a plant
  21. perch — the fish
  22. court — for sport
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fine — all right

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