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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. kick — in football
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. prune — the fruit

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