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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. present — a gift
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. present — there
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — to bear
  16. band — a ring
  17. chip — to eat
  18. perch — the fish
  19. present — the time now
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. chip — for betting
  22. band — a music group
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. perch — for a bird

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