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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stem — to come from
  7. suit — clothes
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. suit — in cards
  14. file — a document
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. perch — the fish
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. file — a tool
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. straw — dry grass

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