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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. clip — for paper
  7. chip — to eat
  8. clip — to cut
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — for betting
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to bend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. clip — a video
  21. rest — a break
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. calf — of the leg
  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