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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cold — an illness
  3. perch — the fish
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cold — not warm
  6. suit — to fit
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. capital — money
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. key — for a lock
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bore — to drill

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