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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fine — all right
  7. tear — from crying
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. race — humankind
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. race — the arms race
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — a contest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tear — from crying

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