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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stock — shares
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. perch — the fish
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. last — to go on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. court — of a king
  15. last — finally
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — to fit
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. suit — clothes
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. last — final
  24. lean — to bend

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