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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: mark · lean · date · cell · spring · perch · stem · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lean — thin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — the fruit
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cell — in biology
  11. spring — the season
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mark — a trace
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. spring — of water
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stem — to come from
  24. spring — a coil

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