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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cell — in biology
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. spell — magic
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ball — a dance
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bat — the animal

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