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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — the fish
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. kid — to tease
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. bear — the animal
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. kid — child
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mate — a partner
  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