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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: toast · content · snap · wind · calf · lie · dip · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. snap — to click
  7. perch — the fish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lie — to recline
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. toast — bread
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. content — happy
  21. wind — moving air
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wind — moving air
  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