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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. saw — the tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. net — in sport
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. net — for catching
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rock — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — a stone
  24. net — after costs

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