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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: mate · board · dip · chest · perch · lean · bore · stem

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. chest — of your body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. dip — to sink
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. lean — to bend
  10. board — to get on
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bore — to drill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lean — thin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. perch — the fish
  20. board — a committee
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chest — a box
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mate — a partner

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