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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. perch — the fish
  3. clip — to cut
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lean — to bend
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. clip — a video
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. game — a match
  24. game — a kind of play

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