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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wind — moving air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wind — moving air
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. court — of law
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. perch — the fish
  18. safe — out of danger

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