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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: stem · perch · rash · bay · cue · field · rest · wind

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rest — what's left
  6. field — a subject
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cue — a hint
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. field — farmland
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cue — for pool
  14. field — for sport
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rest — a break
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. rash — a series
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wind — moving air

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