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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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. degree — from a university
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. degree — temperature
  23. fall — the season
  24. fall — to drop

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