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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — the fish
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — child
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wake — a trail

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