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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: squash · perch · staff · current · stem · sharp · kick · nail

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. squash — to crush
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. staff — employees
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. staff — a stick
  14. current — of water
  15. squash — the sport
  16. current — happening now
  17. stem — to come from
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. staff — employees
  21. current — electric
  22. sharp — clever
  23. perch — the fish
  24. squash — the vegetable

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