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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — a measure
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a great time
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. file — a line of people
  16. ball — a dance
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. perch — the fish
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mark — a trace
  24. arm — a part of something

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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