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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. perch — the fish
  6. face — to point toward
  7. root — of a plant
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — a thing
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — of a word
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. face — to confront
  14. stand — to bear
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. root — the cause
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mate — a partner
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mate — a friend
  23. object — an aim
  24. mate — to breed

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