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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
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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: rash · spring · charge · scale · stem · perch · staff · mouse

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. staff — employees
  3. spring — of water
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. scale — size or range
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rash — hasty
  10. staff — employees
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. charge — electricity
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. spring — the season
  18. rash — a series
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. perch — the fish
  24. scale — in music

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