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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mug — a face
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mug — to rob
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — to wash
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rock — music
  15. lean — thin
  16. shower — rain
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. perch — for a bird

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