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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. drill — the tool
  6. capital — money
  7. drill — army training
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. capital — a city
  15. present — there
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. drill — a practice

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