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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  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. last — finally
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. last — final
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — to go on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chest — of your body
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. saw — the tool
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — wild animals
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chest — a box
  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