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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lean — to bend
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. foot — a measure
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fine — high quality
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. lean — thin
  15. bound — obliged
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bound — certain
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bound — tied together
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. calf — a young animal

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