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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
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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: calf · season · perch · arm · shower · wound · cue · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wound — an injury
  4. cue — a signal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — an injury
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. perch — the fish
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cue — for pool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. season — of the year
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. season — in sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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