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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — electricity
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. charge — in control
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. deal — to handle
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. charge — a price
  24. calf — a young animal

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