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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. spell — magic
  4. staff — a stick
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rock — a stone
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rock — music
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — a short time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. kick — in football
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. spell — letters
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. staff — employees

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