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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. present — there
  4. bear — the animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bat — the animal
  10. present — the time now
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. kick — in football
  14. staff — a stick
  15. sharp — clever
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. staff — employees
  18. bear — the animal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. present — a gift
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bat — for baseball

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