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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stock — shares
  4. fall — to drop
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stock — goods
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. scale — in music
  20. fall — the season
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stand — to bear
  24. perch — the fish

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