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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 120 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: root · arm · perch · rock · clip · lean · leaves · chest

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rock — a stone
  7. clip — to cut
  8. lean — thin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. clip — a video
  13. root — of a word
  14. chest — a box
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. perch — the fish
  18. root — the cause
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. clip — for paper
  24. lean — to bend

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