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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: nail · object · club · perch · leaves · arm · roll · race

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — a list
  3. object — to protest
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. race — the arms race
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. object — an aim
  9. race — humankind
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. object — a thing
  12. club — a group
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — for golf
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. race — a contest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. club — for dancing
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. perch — the fish

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