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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. ground — a position
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bound — obliged
  11. face — to confront
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ground — crushed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. face — to point toward
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hand — help
  21. bound — certain
  22. rule — a law
  23. ground — the earth
  24. fork — in a road

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