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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rock — music
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. firm — steady
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. firm — a company
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — a weight
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. firm — decided
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fork — in a road
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rock — a stone

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