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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lean — thin
  6. bore — to tire
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rock — a stone

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