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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: perch · season · hide · stem · bank · rash · ruler · straw

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. perch — the fish
  15. season — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. season — of the year
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rash — a series

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