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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 120 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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — in sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. kid — child
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. perch — the fish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fall — the season
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. season — of the year
  23. fall — to drop
  24. kid — to tease

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