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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — to paddle
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a dance
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chip — to eat
  10. shower — rain
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. row — a line
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. perch — the fish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. foot — a measure
  19. shower — to wash
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — for betting
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pass — to spend time

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