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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wound — an injury
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. march — the month
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ball — a great time
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a trace
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wound — an injury
  24. leaves — to go away

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