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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. snap — to click
  4. wind — moving air
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. swing — to play on
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. swing — music
  16. pass — a permit
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wind — moving air
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — to hit hard

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