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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.

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: deal · perch · hand · chair · bass · season · stem · lash

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. season — in sport
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. bass — low music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hand — help
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. hand — part of the body

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