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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — electric
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. firm — decided
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — of water
  11. swing — to play on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — thin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. current — happening now
  17. tear — to rip
  18. perch — the fish
  19. swing — music
  20. firm — a company
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. firm — steady
  23. lean — to bend
  24. date — on the calendar

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