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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. swing — music
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. perch — the fish
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bound — obliged
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bound — certain
  20. pit — in a race
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. swing — to play on
  24. saw — the tool

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