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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 116 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. scale — in music
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. perch — the fish
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. squash — to crush
  20. hand — help
  21. tube — a container
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hand — in cards

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