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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · sharp · perch · trunk · arm · mouse · squash · rash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — a series
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. kick — in football
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. squash — the sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rash — hasty
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. trunk — of a car

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