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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: bulb · tear · lie · perch · mark · chest · stem · staff

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. tear — from crying
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — employees
  7. chest — of your body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mark — a trace
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chest — a box
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a grade
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. staff — a stick
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lie — to recline
  24. perch — for a bird

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