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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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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: jam · snap · stem · march · cell · bore · perch · calf

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bore — to tire
  5. bore — to drill
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cell — a phone
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cell — in biology
  18. march — the month
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. march — music

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