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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. root — the cause
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. root — of a plant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pop — music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pop — soda
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. row — a line
  21. root — of a word
  22. pop — to visit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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