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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: arm · chip · fall · perch · rash · bowl · cabinet · trunk

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. rash — a series
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — for betting
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chip — to eat
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — a football final

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