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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — obliged
  4. perch — the fish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. file — a document
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. bound — certain
  12. charge — electricity
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. squash — to crush
  15. file — a line of people
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. charge — a price
  21. vault — a safe
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bound — tied together

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