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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. stand — to bear
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pass — to succeed

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