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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. game — a match
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. present — a gift
  6. toast — bread
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — the fish
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. present — there
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. perch — the fish
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. present — the time now
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. row — to paddle
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — low music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. game — wild animals
  23. row — a line
  24. temple — a place of worship

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