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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: perch · suit · pitcher · wound · mouse · branch · safe · stem

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wound — an injury
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. suit — in cards
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. suit — clothes

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