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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bass — low music
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. bass — the fish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. craft — boats
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spell — magic
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. craft — a handicraft

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