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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. perch — the fish
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pass — a permit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — wild animals
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. vault — a safe
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. game — a match
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. jam — in traffic

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