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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. squash — to crush
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — the sport
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. perch — the fish

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