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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bass — low music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stem — to come from
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. roll — a cake
  13. spell — magic
  14. cue — a hint
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cue — for pool
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. craft — a skill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. roll — a list
  22. cue — a signal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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