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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — for sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — hurry
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. court — of law
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. row — a line
  12. mark — a grade
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mark — a trace
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. wound — an injury

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