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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pitch — completely
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wind — moving air
  14. roll — a list
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pitch — a sports field

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