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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wind — moving air
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. swing — in golf
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wind — moving air
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. content — the amount
  14. plane — a tool
  15. suit — in cards
  16. swing — music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. cue — for pool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cue — a signal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — happy

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