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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: track · straw · hide · perch · stem · prune · stand · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. track — a song
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. swing — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. track — a path
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — to bear
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. swing — in golf
  15. track — to keep track
  16. stem — to come from
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. prune — to trim
  24. perch — the fish

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