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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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. clip — a video
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a ring
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. present — the time now
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bear — the animal
  15. present — there
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bore — to drill
  18. plane — a tool
  19. clip — for paper
  20. perch — the fish
  21. present — a gift
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bore — to tire

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