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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — the fish
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. bore — to tire
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bore — to drill
  24. leaves — of a tree

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