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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fall — the season
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — of ice
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bat — the animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. object — to protest
  11. cap — a lid
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — a thing
  17. shower — to wash
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. object — an aim
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rush — a thrill

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