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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. content — the amount
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — a break
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. game — wild animals
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. content — happy
  24. calf — of the leg

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