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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ground — crushed
  24. perch — for a bird

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