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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: trunk · fall · bore · sharp · stem · perch · kick · chip

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chip — to eat
  6. fall — to drop
  7. kick — in football
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fall — the season
  12. perch — the fish
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. sharp — clever
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bore — to tire
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. kick — a thrill

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