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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. perch — the fish
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. object — to protest
  6. pop — soda
  7. bound — certain
  8. object — an aim
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. object — a thing
  15. clip — a video
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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