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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: fall · perch · bear · snap · season · stem · bound · mouse

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bound — obliged
  8. snap — to click
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. season — of the year
  19. perch — the fish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. fall — the season
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bound — certain

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