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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. toast — bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bear — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. hand — help
  21. perch — the fish
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. calf — a young animal

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