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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
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: mug · perch · trunk · foot · hand · stick · stem · dip

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. hand — in cards
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hand — help
  6. foot — a measure
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mug — to rob
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stem — to come from
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mug — a face

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