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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: present · arm · current · firm · snap · perch · kick · cabinet

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. snap — to click
  8. present — there
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. present — the time now
  12. firm — steady
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. current — happening now
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — in football
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. present — a gift
  24. arm — a part of something

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