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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 116 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: lean · kid · chip · can · perch · cabinet · wound · last

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. last — to go on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. chip — for betting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. last — finally
  15. kid — child
  16. last — final
  17. chip — to eat
  18. can — a tin
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — the fish
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. perch — for a bird

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