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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. spring — a coil
  7. perch — the fish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. spring — of water
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spring — the season
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fork — in a road

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