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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stem — to come from
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a dance
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. file — a tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. prune — to trim
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. file — a document
  22. prune — to trim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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