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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tube — a container
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — magic
  10. fine — high quality
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fall — the season
  14. tube — the underground
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fine — all right
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. perch — for a bird

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