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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. perch — the fish
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tear — to rip
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. tear — from crying
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cap — a lid
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cap — of ice

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