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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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468
Word bank
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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — a container
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — to come from
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — the underground
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. chip — in a computer

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