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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. perch — the fish
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — a coil
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — of water
  13. bound — obliged
  14. can — a tin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. can — a tin
  22. dip — to sink
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bound — certain

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