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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 120 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: rest · cap · mine · calf · stem · chip · mouse · perch

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — for betting
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. cap — a lid
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mine — for digging
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. rest — a break
  17. cap — of ice
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rest — what's left

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