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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. toast — bread
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. row — a line
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. race — the arms race
  17. date — the fruit
  18. row — to paddle
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. race — a contest
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. race — humankind
  23. perch — the fish
  24. row — a quarrel

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