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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: stem · mug · rush · nail · perch · arm · date · present

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. stem — to come from
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mug — a cup
  8. rush — hurry
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. perch — the fish
  18. date — the fruit
  19. mug — a face
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — there
  22. mug — to rob
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — for a hammer

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