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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: stand · perch · drill · stem · shower · craft · object · last

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. shower — to wash
  3. craft — boats
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — to protest
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. drill — army training
  9. craft — a skill
  10. drill — a practice
  11. stem — to come from
  12. last — finally
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. last — to go on
  16. object — a thing
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. last — final
  21. object — an aim
  22. drill — the tool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stand — to bear

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