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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — a partner
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. mate — a friend
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mate — to breed
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — finally
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. cap — a hat
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. last — to go on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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