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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — employees
  12. row — a line
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — a permit
  24. deal — to handle

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