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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · perch · chest · mouse · stem · can · bear · branch

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. chest — a box
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. perch — the fish
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. branch — a division
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — to come from
  24. can — to be able to

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