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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.

Make a worksheet

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: can · squash · hand · wave · perch · fan · chest · foot

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. perch — the fish
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. squash — to crush
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hand — help
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chest — a box
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hand — in cards
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fan — a supporter

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