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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — the fish
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — to crush
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. staff — a stick
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. fall — the season
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rule — government
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. rule — a law
  23. rock — music
  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