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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cue — for pool
  4. perch — the fish
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. bank — of a river
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — of the leg

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