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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
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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 · toast · spring · hide · mouse · stem · temple · tube

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. toast — bread
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. tube — a container
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. spring — of water
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. tube — the underground
  23. stem — to come from
  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