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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rule — a law
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rock — a stone
  6. stem — to come from
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lean — to bend
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rule — government
  11. rock — music
  12. lean — thin
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. drill — army training
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wind — moving air
  24. fan — to cool the air

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