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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. toast — bread
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. face — to point toward
  9. rock — a stone
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — to confront
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stem — to come from
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. branch — a division
  22. face — part of the head
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. current — electric

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