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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. perch — the fish
  17. plane — a tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rush — a thrill

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