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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: perch · cabinet · hide · press · rash · mine · pitcher · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. perch — the fish
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. press — newspapers
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rash — hasty
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. press — to push
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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