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

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. face — part of the head
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. face — to confront
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bowl — to roll

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