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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tube — a container
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. perch — the fish
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cap — a hat
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wind — moving air

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