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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: perch · kid · arm · bulb · craft · leaves · rule · fine

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. kid — child
  4. fine — high quality
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rule — government
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rule — a law
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fine — all right
  24. perch — for a bird

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