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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — a stick
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. perch — the fish
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. staff — employees
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. board — to get on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — a committee
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — magic
  22. shower — rain
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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