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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — steady
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — in sport
  8. perch — the fish
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. staff — a stick
  13. season — of the year
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. firm — decided
  17. roll — a list
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. roll — a cake
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. firm — a company

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