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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. perch — the fish
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. kid — to tease
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. plane — a tool
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tube — a container
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — child

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