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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · fall · current · mark · roll · bat · perch · lie

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. fall — to drop
  8. roll — a cake
  9. current — happening now
  10. fall — the season
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — electric
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lie — to recline
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — of water

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