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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: plane · bear · trunk · stem · court · cap · perch · nail

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. court — for sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cap — of ice
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. court — of a king
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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