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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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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: present · lean · perch · fine · racket · arm · calf · squash

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. lean — thin
  5. squash — the sport
  6. perch — the fish
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — to crush
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to bend
  16. present — a gift
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. calf — a young animal
  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