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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.

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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: perch · cabinet · sharp · arm · chest · spring · rash · dip

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — the season
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. spring — of water
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chest — of your body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chest — a box
  19. rash — hasty
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. perch — the fish
  24. sharp — clever

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