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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — the season
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rush — hurry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. game — a match
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — the underground
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fall — to drop

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