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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: arm · row · swing · calf · tear · vault · kick · can

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — in football
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a line
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tear — from crying
  12. swing — to play on
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. can — to be able to
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. vault — a safe
  17. row — to paddle
  18. swing — in golf
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. swing — music

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