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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. club — for dancing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. club — a group
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cell — a phone
  19. club — for golf
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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