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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. race — a contest
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. perch — the fish
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — in music
  10. pop — music
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pop — to visit
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. race — humankind
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. key — the most important part
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. race — the arms race

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