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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 120 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: rock · straw · rest · lash · calf · rule · perch · cap

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rule — government
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. cap — of ice
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a hat
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — the fish
  14. rock — music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rest — a break
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rule — a law
  24. rock — a stone

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