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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — for a lock
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. perch — the fish
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. date — the fruit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — in music
  13. kid — child
  14. key — the most important part
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. kid — to tease
  23. press — to push
  24. jam — in traffic

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