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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 116 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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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: hand · cue · chair · perch · leaves · lash · rest · tube

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. hand — help
  4. rest — what's left
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rest — a break
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. cue — for pool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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