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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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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: cue · scale · chair · perch · lash · saw · stand · stem

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. saw — the tool
  3. scale — in music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cue — a hint
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — the fish
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. cue — a signal

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