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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.

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: rock · row · mine · perch · mug · date · calf · chair

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. row — to paddle
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mug — a cup
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mine — for digging
  9. date — the fruit
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. perch — the fish
  12. row — a line
  13. mug — a face
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — a stone
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rock — music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. calf — a young animal

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