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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: leaves · hand · wound · toast · foot · perch · bore · rush

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rush — hurry
  9. foot — a measure
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bore — to tire
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. bore — to drill
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. hand — help
  24. wound — an injury

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