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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: face · leaves · arm · perch · wax · kid · board · chip

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. face — to confront
  6. chip — for betting
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. board — to get on
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. board — a committee
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kid — to tease

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