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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: perch · deal · arm · rule · mouse · craft · stand · spring

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. perch — the fish
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. spring — the season
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rule — government
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. spring — of water
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. craft — boats
  24. stand — to bear

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