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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 120 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. present — the time now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. perch — the fish
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. dip — to sink
  18. present — there
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. present — a gift
  24. dip — to dunk

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