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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · chest · ball · bass · march · object · perch · calf

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. march — the month
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. chest — a box
  8. bass — low music
  9. snap — to click
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ball — a great time
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. march — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. march — the month
  19. object — a thing
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ball — a dance
  24. object — to protest

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