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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.

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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: perch · rash · calf · mouse · rule · arm · toast · march

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — government
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rash — hasty
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — bread
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — a series
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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