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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: rush · leaves · craft · perch · stick · wind · stem · bore

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rush — hurry
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. craft — boats
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bore — to drill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bore — gave birth

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