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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. stem — to come from
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — thin
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fan — to cool the air

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