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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — to bend
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bass — low music
  13. roll — a list
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lean — thin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — a cake
  24. game — a match

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