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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: temple · racket · pop · stem · saw · dip · perch · arm

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pop — to visit
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pop — soda
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — to come from
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. saw — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. saw — the tool
  24. perch — the fish

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