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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. land — a country
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. land — ground
  7. fork — in a road
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. charge — a price
  11. shower — rain
  12. charge — electricity
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. land — to come down
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. charge — in control
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. perch — the fish
  23. shower — to wash
  24. kick — in football

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