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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. suit — clothes
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a cup
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mug — to rob
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. perch — the fish
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mug — a face
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tube — the underground
  19. root — of a word
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. root — of a plant
  23. suit — to fit
  24. snap — to click

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