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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. land — to come down
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. land — ground
  11. perch — the fish
  12. tube — the underground
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. face — part of the head
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. tube — a container
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — to confront
  24. land — a country

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