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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: calf · tear · jam · last · object · wake · arm · leaves

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tear — from crying
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. tear — to rip
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. last — to go on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. object — a thing
  19. last — final
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — an aim
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. wake — a trail

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