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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mark — a grade
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mark — a trace
  15. hand — help
  16. can — a tin
  17. mate — a friend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mate — to breed

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