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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · mate · fan · firm · lie · perch · straw · snap

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. mate — a partner
  3. perch — the fish
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — a company
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mate — to breed
  13. stem — to come from
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. firm — steady
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. snap — to click
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mate — a friend
  24. straw — dry grass

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