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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rest — a break
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — what's left
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spell — magic
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cell — a phone
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. spell — letters
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spell — a short time
  18. degree — from a university
  19. sharp — clever
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. degree — temperature
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rest — what's left

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