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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · mark · date · squash · present · perch · leaves · calf

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. squash — to crush
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — the time now
  10. date — the fruit
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. present — there
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a grade
  18. present — a gift
  19. mark — a trace
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. perch — the fish

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