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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. perch — the fish
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chest — a box
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. deal — to handle
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. date — the fruit
  24. plane — an aircraft

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