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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rash — a series
  9. present — the time now
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. present — there
  12. march — music
  13. present — a gift
  14. staff — employees
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rash — hasty
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. perch — the fish
  24. kick — in football

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