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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
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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: bulb · rash · squash · trunk · arm · cell · perch · object

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — in biology
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rash — hasty
  14. squash — to crush
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. object — an aim
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cell — a phone
  19. rash — a series
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. object — a thing
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. object — to protest

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