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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: fall · perch · arm · ball · prune · lash · calf · spring

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. perch — the fish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fall — the season
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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