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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cap — of ice
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cap — a hat
  5. field — a subject
  6. prune — to trim
  7. perch — the fish
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. row — a line
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. cap — a lid
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — in football
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. stem — to come from

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