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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. last — final
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — to go on
  10. stem — to come from
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lean — thin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rush — hurry

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