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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. capital — money
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. tear — to rip
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — in football
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — for money
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bank — of a river
  20. tear — from crying
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. perch — the fish
  24. kick — a thrill

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