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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 120 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: object · stem · squash · pitch · hand · lean · perch · current

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. current — of water
  4. current — electric
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — the fish
  7. object — to protest
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. current — happening now
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hand — help
  16. object — a thing
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hand — in cards
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. object — an aim

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