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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · chest · rock · perch · mug · fan · stand · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mug — a face
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — the fish
  10. chest — a box
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rock — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. game — a match
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — to move gently
  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