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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cue — for pool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. root — of a plant
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. foot — a measure
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lean — to bend

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