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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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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 · kick · mark · stem · bear · rush · cue

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cue — a hint
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. mark — a trace
  19. kick — in football
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cue — for pool
  24. perch — for a bird

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