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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.

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: stand · arm · land · perch · cue · spell · squash · hide

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — a signal
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. squash — to crush
  5. spell — magic
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. squash — the sport
  9. land — ground
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cue — a hint
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spell — letters
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. perch — the fish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — a short time
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cue — for pool

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