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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: kid · straw · spell · branch · perch · plane · stem · sharp

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stem — to come from
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. spell — letters
  10. perch — the fish
  11. branch — a division
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. sharp — clever
  18. plane — a tool
  19. kid — child
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. kid — to tease

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