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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: lie · rock · scale · spring · staff · stem · straw · fork

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. stem — to come from
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spring — the season
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. scale — size or range
  18. spring — of water
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — a stick
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — a straw man

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