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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — tied together
  3. stem — to come from
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. row — to paddle
  10. face — to point toward
  11. dip — to sink
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. face — to confront
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. face — part of the head
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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