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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. clip — for paper
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mate — a friend
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. shower — to wash
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to click
  14. mate — a partner
  15. suit — in cards
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. suit — to fit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. suit — clothes

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