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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — soda
  3. wake — a trail
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cue — a hint
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. root — the cause
  11. content — happy
  12. perch — the fish
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. root — of a word
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cue — a signal
  24. content — videos and posts

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