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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: arm · nail · lash · perch · current · fork · staff · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fork — in a road
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — of water
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — to keep secret

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