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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: land · date · perch · dip · cell · arm · bore · mark

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mark — a grade
  7. land — a country
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. date — the fruit
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cell — a phone
  13. land — ground
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. land — to come down
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bore — to tire
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. perch — for a bird

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