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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: calf · prune · lie · perch · fan · mouse · stem · bound

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. prune — to trim
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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