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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. cue — for pool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cue — a signal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. present — the time now
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chest — a box
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — the animal
  21. present — there
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cue — a hint
  24. chest — of your body

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