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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. craft — a skill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mine — for digging
  8. suit — in cards
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. file — a tool
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. suit — clothes
  22. file — a line of people
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. file — a document

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