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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. firm — decided
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kick — in football
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — rain
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. shower — to wash
  17. firm — steady
  18. perch — the fish
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kid — child
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. firm — a company

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