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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wax — to grow
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. game — a match
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fork — in a road
  19. perch — the fish
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. perch — for a bird

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