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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.

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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rest — a break
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. rest — what's left
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. fine — high quality
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wave — with your hand

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