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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
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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: perch · saw · row · board · cabinet · rash · last · squash

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rash — hasty
  5. squash — the sport
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. last — finally
  9. rash — a series
  10. saw — the tool
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. last — final
  16. row — to paddle
  17. last — to go on
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. board — to get on
  23. perch — for a bird
  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