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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — to recline
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stem — to come from
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — a supporter

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