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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. race — the arms race
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. perch — the fish
  8. race — humankind
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bear — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. race — a contest
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. game — wild animals

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