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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: kid · content · jam · perch · rash · leaves · arm · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rash — a series
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. firm — decided
  8. rash — hasty
  9. content — the amount
  10. perch — the fish
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. content — happy
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kid — child
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — to tease
  21. firm — a company
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. content — videos and posts

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