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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 120 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. hand — in cards
  7. perch — the fish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kid — to tease
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kid — child
  21. face — to point toward
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hand — help

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