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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. fall — the season
  11. bark — to shout
  12. firm — decided
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — magic
  21. craft — boats
  22. stem — to come from
  23. spell — letters
  24. firm — a company

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