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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 116 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — to paddle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stem — to come from
  12. drill — army training
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. drill — the tool
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. row — a line
  22. tube — a container
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. perch — the fish

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