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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. row — to paddle
  5. current — electric
  6. suit — to fit
  7. current — of water
  8. suit — in cards
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. current — happening now
  13. spell — magic
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. game — a match
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stem — to come from
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. row — a line
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. game — wild animals
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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