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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: perch · plane · fine · arm · rush · craft · spell · hide

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. spell — a short time
  5. craft — boats
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fine — all right
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. plane — a tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — in geometry

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