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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. club — for golf
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. drill — the tool
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. firm — decided
  19. stem — to come from
  20. drill — army training
  21. firm — a company
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. club — a group

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