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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fine — high quality
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — of water
  24. fine — all right

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