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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. perch — the fish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. charge — a price
  5. suit — to fit
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. wound — an injury
  11. squash — the sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. squash — to crush
  19. charge — in control
  20. branch — a division
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wound — an injury
  24. suit — clothes

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