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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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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: content · lash · perch · key · stem · rock · tear · swing

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. content — the amount
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. key — for a lock
  16. swing — in golf
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tear — to rip
  19. key — in music
  20. content — happy
  21. rock — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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