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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. hand — in cards
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — the month
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. perch — the fish
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. staff — employees
  15. foot — a measure
  16. row — a line
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. staff — employees
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. march — music
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chair — a leader
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. march — the month

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