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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: perch · stem · wake · pass · drill · net · deal · hand

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pass — a permit
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — after costs
  14. hand — help
  15. wake — a trail
  16. net — for catching
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — the fish
  22. net — in sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stem — to come from

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