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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.

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: arm · perch · fan · squash · current · stem · face · court

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — part of the head
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. perch — the fish
  8. court — of a king
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. current — electric
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. court — for sport
  15. current — of water
  16. squash — the sport
  17. court — of law
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. face — to confront
  24. current — happening now

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