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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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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: kid · lash · staff · arm · charge · ball · mouse · perch

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. perch — the fish
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kid — to tease
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. staff — a stick
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. charge — a price
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kid — child
  19. ball — a great time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — in control
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. staff — employees
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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