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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · stem · rush · swing · bark · straw · drill · perch

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bark — to shout
  4. swing — in golf
  5. rush — hurry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. swing — music
  15. stem — to come from
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. drill — army training
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — a thrill

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