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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: perch · foot · firm · lean · chest · fine · fall · calf

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. chest — of your body
  3. firm — steady
  4. perch — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. fall — to drop
  8. lean — thin
  9. fine — all right
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. firm — decided
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chest — of your body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. chest — a box
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. firm — a company

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