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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. march — the month
  4. content — happy
  5. plane — a tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stem — to come from
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. march — music
  10. tear — from crying
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — a path
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. perch — the fish
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. tear — to rip
  17. content — the amount
  18. track — to keep track
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. track — a song

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