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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mine — for digging
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — a break
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ground — a position
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — to put up with

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