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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. kick — in football
  3. perch — the fish
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. branch — a division
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. scale — size or range
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. scale — in music
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rash — a series
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. toast — bread

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