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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
468
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: arm · rest · perch · calf · jam · march · fine · hand

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. march — music
  14. fine — all right
  15. hand — in cards
  16. march — the month
  17. perch — the fish
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. march — the month
  23. rest — a break
  24. perch — for a bird

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