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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 120 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. perch — the fish
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mug — to rob
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. wind — moving air
  16. rule — government
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. pass — a permit
  20. kick — in football
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. calf — of the leg

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