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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. track — a song
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — a trail
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. track — a path
  24. stem — of a plant

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