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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 120 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: perch · stand · shower · fork · rash · stem · row · stick

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. perch — the fish
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stand — to bear
  9. shower — to wash
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. row — a line
  20. rash — a series
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rash — hasty
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. shower — rain

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