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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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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: stick · season · rash · stem · spring · perch · fork · lie

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lie — to recline
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — the season
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. spring — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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