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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. snap — to click
  5. file — a tool
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. file — a line of people
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. file — a document
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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