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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. perch — the fish
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chest — a box
  24. nail — on a finger

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