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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: lean · kick · lie · arm · rash · perch · capital · rest

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — a series
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rest — a break
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. kick — in football
  15. capital — a city
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. capital — money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. perch — the fish
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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