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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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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: jam · arm · ball · saw · calf · tear

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. ball — a dance
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. tear — to rip
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. ball — a great time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. tear — from crying
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — of the leg

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