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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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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: perch · rash · mouse · hide · stem · face

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rash — a series
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. perch — the fish
  18. face — to confront

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