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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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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: chest · bowl · cabinet · stand · perch · squash · current · ruler

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chest — a box
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — of water
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. perch — the fish
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. chest — of your body
  24. squash — to crush

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