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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. charge — a price
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. perch — the fish
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. charge — in control
  15. branch — a division
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kid — child
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lean — to bend
  22. foot — a measure
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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