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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. charge — in control
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kick — in football
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. charge — a price
  9. chest — of your body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lean — thin
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bass — low music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lean — to bend
  23. chest — a box
  24. kick — with a leg

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