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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: perch · arm · coach · lean · scale · stem · press · pit

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. scale — size or range
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. press — a publisher
  8. scale — in music
  9. lean — to bend
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — the fish
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stem — to come from
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. press — to push
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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