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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 120 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: straw · lie · wax · stem · cabinet · pitch · perch · mark

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — the fish
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lie — to recline
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wax — to grow
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mark — a grade
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stem — to come from
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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