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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. last — to go on
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. swing — in golf
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — music
  14. drill — a practice
  15. last — finally
  16. drill — army training
  17. last — final
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stem — to come from

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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