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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · capital · last · arm · dip · rest · perch · shower

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. shower — rain
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. last — finally
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rest — a break
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. capital — money
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. last — final
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. last — to go on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. arm — part of the body

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