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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. staff — a stick
  3. last — to go on
  4. squash — the sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — the fruit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — to crush
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. staff — employees
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. last — final
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — finally
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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