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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: straw · present · perch · stem · spring · current · staff · squash

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  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. staff — employees
  2. squash — to crush
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. staff — employees
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. present — there
  11. current — happening now
  12. spring — the season
  13. squash — the sport
  14. current — electric
  15. current — of water
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — a stick
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. spring — a coil
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  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