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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mate — to breed
  10. object — a thing
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spell — magic
  13. object — to protest
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. spell — a short time
  18. perch — the fish
  19. scale — in music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. spell — letters
  24. fan — a supporter

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