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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. saw — the tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cell — in biology
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. saw — the tool
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cell — a phone
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ruler — for measuring

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