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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. land — ground
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. mate — a friend
  8. perch — the fish
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. file — a document
  13. mate — to breed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. file — a tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. file — a line of people
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. land — a country
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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