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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — government
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rule — a law
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — to tire
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — a supporter

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