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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: lean · swing · foot · chip · mouse · stem · mate · perch

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. swing — to play on
  3. mate — a partner
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. swing — music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lean — thin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. swing — in golf
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chip — in a computer

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