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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rash — hasty
  8. land — a country
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. land — to come down
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — a break
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rash — a series
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. perch — the fish
  23. land — ground
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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