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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bat · stem · toast · mug · calf · lean · hand

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — in cards
  6. lean — thin
  7. mug — a face
  8. perch — the fish
  9. hand — help
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — bread
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. mug — to rob
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bat — the animal
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. stem — to come from

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