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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. row — to paddle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. scale — size or range
  11. perch — the fish
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. land — ground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — to recline
  16. scale — in music
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. land — to come down
  21. row — a line
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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