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

Word bank: swing · deal · bear · calf · arm · fine

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. fine — high quality
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. swing — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right

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