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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fork — in a road
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. root — of a plant
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. root — of a word
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. perch — for a bird

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