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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 116 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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a line
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cue — a signal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. ball — a dance
  12. shower — rain
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. perch — the fish
  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