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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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Word bank
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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: pass · prune · lash · perch · lean · bulb · staff · straw

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. staff — a stick
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. staff — employees
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. staff — employees
  14. pass — a permit
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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