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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: mate · arm · perch · jam · swing · kick · wave · nail

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. swing — music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mate — to breed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a partner
  8. perch — the fish
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. swing — to play on
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kick — in football
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. arm — part of the body

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