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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: face · net · perch · nail · leaves · mine · bear · stem

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. bear — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — for catching
  8. perch — the fish
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bear — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — to confront
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. stem — to come from
  16. face — part of the head
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mine — for digging
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. net — in sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bear — to put up with
  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