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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ground — a position
  7. season — of the year
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. march — music
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. march — the month
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. perch — the fish
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — crushed
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. season — in sport
  24. straw — a straw man

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