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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 120 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. season — of the year
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. plane — a tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. stem — to come from
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. charge — electricity
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — a tin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. season — in sport
  24. charge — a price

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