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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. suit — clothes
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. suit — in cards
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. suit — to fit
  19. kick — in football
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mine — for digging
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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