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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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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: stem · rest · hide · perch · fall · pitch · cap · tube

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cap — a lid
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rest — a break
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — a hat
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fall — the season
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tube — a container
  22. perch — the fish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tube — the underground

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