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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. net — in sport
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. net — for catching
  6. perch — the fish
  7. scale — in music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — after costs
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to click
  17. scale — size or range
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stem — to come from
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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