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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 · mate · perch · foot · rash · arm · fall · firm

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rash — a series
  13. pound — a weight
  14. perch — the fish
  15. foot — a measure
  16. firm — a company
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — hasty
  20. firm — decided
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. mate — to breed

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