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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: arm · lash · nail · cue · fall · perch · spring · pound

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. spring — the season
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fall — to drop
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spring — of water
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cue — a hint
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pound — a weight
  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