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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: cue · spell · stem · straw · perch · wind · board · bay

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wind — moving air
  5. cue — a hint
  6. spell — letters
  7. cue — for pool
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cue — a signal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. board — a committee
  22. perch — the fish
  23. board — to get on
  24. stem — of a plant

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