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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. land — a country
  3. march — the month
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. swing — in golf
  15. saw — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. saw — the tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hide — animal skin

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