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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mark — a trace
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mark — a grade
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. drill — army training
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. stem — to come from
  24. dip — to sink

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