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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: perch · jam · calf · craft · patient · clip · foot · pass

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. perch — the fish
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. clip — for paper
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. craft — a skill
  15. clip — a video
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. craft — boats
  22. foot — a measure
  23. clip — to cut
  24. pass — a permit

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