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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cap — a hat
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. current — electric
  17. cold — not warm
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — happening now
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. current — of water
  24. cold — an illness

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