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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.

Make a worksheet

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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. land — ground
  7. lean — thin
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — to come down
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. land — a country
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chair — a leader
  22. branch — a division
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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