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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. file — a line of people
  5. bound — certain
  6. stand — to bear
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. game — a match
  9. file — a document
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. file — a tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rule — government
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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