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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: perch · fall · mouse · stem · rest · bear · drill · pop

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. pop — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pop — to visit
  12. fall — the season
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rest — a break
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fall — to drop
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pop — soda

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