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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: squash · perch · land · arm · staff · track · pop · lie

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — to visit
  4. track — a song
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pop — soda
  9. track — to keep track
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. perch — the fish
  14. staff — employees
  15. land — a country
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pop — music
  22. staff — a stick
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. perch — for a bird

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