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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mug — to rob
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. last — finally
  11. net — in sport
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. last — final
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. last — to go on
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mug — a face
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. calf — of the leg

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