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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rock — music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hand — help
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — a line
  15. rock — a stone
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. row — to paddle
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bear — to put up with

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