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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: sharp · fan · staff · cell · stem · wax · perch · snap

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — clever
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. stem — to come from
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fan — a supporter

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