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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. tear — from crying
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cue — a hint
  11. plane — a tool
  12. kid — child
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. firm — decided
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chair — a leader
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. firm — steady
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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