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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ground — the earth
  5. object — an aim
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — a thing
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — to protest
  11. face — part of the head
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. mug — a face
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. mug — to rob

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