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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bat — the animal
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — the fish
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bear — the animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. band — a ring
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. calf — a young animal

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