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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. track — a song
  3. drill — a practice
  4. board — to get on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. craft — boats
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — a skill
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. drill — the tool
  16. board — a committee
  17. stem — to come from
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — hurry

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