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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — to come from
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. season — in sport
  8. content — happy
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. face — part of the head
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to confront
  15. content — the amount
  16. plane — a tool
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. season — of the year
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. face — to point toward
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. safe — out of danger

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