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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — steady
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. mark — a trace
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — decided
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stem — to come from
  24. firm — a company

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