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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stem — to come from
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rest — a break
  11. mate — a friend
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bark — to shout
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — a football final

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