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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 116 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.

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: march · perch · last · straw · calf · court · tube · rock

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — the fish
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — the month
  12. last — finally
  13. court — of law
  14. last — final
  15. tube — the underground
  16. last — to go on
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. court — for sport
  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