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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: leaves · bound · firm · row · calf · perch · net · arm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. row — a line
  3. net — in sport
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bound — certain
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — after costs
  12. firm — steady
  13. bound — tied together
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. net — for catching
  16. perch — the fish
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. firm — a company
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — obliged
  22. row — to paddle
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. leaves — to go away

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