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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: cue · spell · perch · toast · arm · bat · fall · net

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. spell — a short time
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fall — to drop
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. cue — for pool
  10. net — for catching
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. toast — bread
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. net — in sport
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fall — the season
  24. net — after costs

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