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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.

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: march · leaves · rock · stem · straw · bulb · perch · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. march — the month
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rock — a stone
  5. march — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bulb — for light
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — hasty
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — a series
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rock — music
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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