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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: row · perch · key · saw · fall · stem · fan · wound

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. row — to paddle
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. perch — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wound — an injury
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wound — an injury
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a line
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. fall — to drop
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fall — the season

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