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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 116 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: stem · fall · clip · pitcher · ruler · perch · straw · staff

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. staff — a stick
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fall — the season
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — employees
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. staff — employees
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. perch — the fish

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