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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.

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: last · cabinet · squash · club · nail · clip · perch · roll

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — a list
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. clip — to cut
  16. last — to go on
  17. roll — a cake
  18. squash — to crush
  19. clip — for paper
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. clip — a video
  23. club — for golf
  24. cabinet — ministers

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