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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: perch · calf · toast · face · chair · bore · lash · object

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. toast — bread
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. object — to protest
  7. face — part of the head
  8. object — an aim
  9. chair — a leader
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bore — to drill
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bore — to tire
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. face — to confront
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. object — a thing

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