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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. clip — for paper
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. clip — a video
  8. clip — to cut
  9. drill — the tool
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. perch — the fish
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. deal — to handle
  16. sharp — clever
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — army training
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. date — the fruit

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