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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wound — an injury
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. can — to be able to
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. firm — a company
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — of a river

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