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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
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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: kid · leaves · saw · perch · arm · rash · pitcher · suit

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. kid — child
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. saw — the tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rash — hasty
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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