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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.

Make a worksheet

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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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: chair · bowl · calf · wound · bore · dip · perch · root

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — to sink
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — of a word
  5. bore — to tire
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. root — the cause
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. root — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. wound — an injury
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. chair — a professorship

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