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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — certain
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — after costs
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bound — tied together
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bound — obliged

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