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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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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: squash · suit · hand · cell · clip · foot · perch · stand

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. clip — for paper
  4. cell — a phone
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cell — in biology
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. clip — a video
  16. suit — in cards
  17. perch — the fish
  18. clip — to cut
  19. hand — help
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. cell — in a prison

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