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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. perch — the fish
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bark — to shout
  24. calf — of the leg

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