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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bank — for money
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bank — of a river
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. game — wild animals
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — a hat
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — for money
  18. game — a match
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rash — a series
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. tube — the underground
  24. rash — hasty

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