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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — steady
  3. perch — the fish
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. firm — a company
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rash — a series
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. press — to push
  15. bore — to drill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. firm — decided
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bore — to tire
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. branch — of a bank

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