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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lean — to bend
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a path
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — a song
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lie — to recline

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