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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. last — final
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. field — a subject
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. object — to protest
  8. perch — the fish
  9. field — for sport
  10. last — to go on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. last — finally
  13. field — farmland
  14. object — a thing
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rule — a law
  17. object — an aim
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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