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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: stem · perch · mouse · wave · hide · bank · court · spring

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. spring — a coil
  5. court — of a king
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. spring — of water
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bank — for money
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. court — for sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bank — for money
  23. perch — the fish
  24. court — of law

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