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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. present — a gift
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mate — to breed
  6. branch — a division
  7. mate — a friend
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. present — there
  18. chip — for betting
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chip — to eat

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