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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. degree — an amount
  7. row — a line
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. degree — temperature
  15. row — to paddle
  16. degree — from a university
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. perch — the fish
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — to rest against

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