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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — of ice
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cap — a hat
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. key — in music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — clever
  18. charge — a price
  19. key — the most important part
  20. shower — to wash
  21. charge — in control
  22. shower — rain
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. perch — the fish

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