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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cell — a phone
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. land — ground
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cell — in biology
  14. land — a country
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. dip — to sink
  20. club — for dancing
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. land — to come down

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