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

Word bank: saw · perch · sharp · lie · roll · calf · foot · dip

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. saw — the tool
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — a list
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. saw — the tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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