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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — the fish
  3. fall — the season
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. firm — steady
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stem — to come from
  15. firm — decided
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fall — to drop
  22. press — to push
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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