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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cap — of ice
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — of water
  12. rest — a break
  13. cap — a lid
  14. current — electric
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spring — a coil
  18. perch — the fish
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — of water
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. current — happening now
  23. spring — the season
  24. cap — a hat

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