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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — clothes
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — of water
  8. snap — to click
  9. wound — an injury
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. spring — a coil
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stem — to come from
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. spring — the season
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. perch — the fish
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. suit — to fit

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