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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: wave · capital · bay · perch · arm · can · foot · rest

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — what's left
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. can — a tin
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. perch — the fish

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