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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: ground · foot · clip · mug · temple · perch · stem · saw

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. clip — to cut
  6. ground — the earth
  7. foot — a measure
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ground — crushed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mug — to rob
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. clip — a video
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. ground — a position
  19. stem — to come from
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. saw — the tool
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. clip — for paper
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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