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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. mark — a grade
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. last — finally
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. calf — a young animal

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