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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cue — a signal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. saw — the tool
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mark — a trace
  20. snap — to click
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bear — the animal

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