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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. board — a committee
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. board — to get on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. dip — to sink
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stem — a stem cell

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