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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. swing — to play on
  7. perch — the fish
  8. present — the time now
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. root — of a word
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitch — completely
  14. root — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. swing — music
  17. present — there
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fall — to drop
  21. root — the cause
  22. present — a gift
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stem — a stem cell

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