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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: foot · lash · stem · season · wound · safe · perch · rock

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stem — to come from
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wound — an injury
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. season — in sport
  11. rock — a stone
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. season — of the year
  14. wound — an injury
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rock — music
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — the fish
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. stem — a stem cell

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