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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. staff — a stick
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — a division
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — a face
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. march — the month
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. march — music
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. perch — the fish
  22. foot — a measure
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. march — the month

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