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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — to recline
  3. degree — an amount
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. degree — from a university
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a plant
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. dip — to sink
  12. perch — the fish
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. toast — bread
  20. root — of a word
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. dip — a sauce

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