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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 120 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
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: fall · chest · present · perch · squash · rash · lie · rush

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — the time now
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. chest — of your body
  7. squash — the sport
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fall — to drop
  10. present — there
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — the season
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — a gift
  23. rush — hurry
  24. squash — to crush

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