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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.

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: chest · rash · perch · tube · fine · season · arm · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fork — in a road
  3. chest — a box
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fine — all right
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tube — a container
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rash — a series
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fine — a penalty

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