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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. clip — a video
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. clip — for paper
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. perch — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. spell — letters
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. clip — to cut

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