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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — the fish
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — a match
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bass — low music

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