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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cue — a signal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fork — in a road
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. key — the most important part
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. suit — to fit
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. suit — in cards
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wake — a trail
  21. key — in music
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. fork — a garden tool

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