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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wound — an injury
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lie — to recline
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stem — to come from
  24. suit — clothes

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