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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 120 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bound — certain
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. hand — help
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. hand — in cards
  9. land — to come down
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bound — obliged
  18. land — ground
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bound — tied together
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rock — music
  23. land — a country
  24. perch — for a bird

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