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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: trunk · game · foot · mouse · perch · arm · pass · plane

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. game — wild animals
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. foot — a measure
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. pass — a permit
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. plane — a tool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — an aircraft

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