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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. can — a tin
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. firm — a company
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. staff — a stick
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. firm — decided
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. firm — steady
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pit — a hole
  19. mine — for digging
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. calf — a young animal

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