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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — a city
  8. wound — an injury
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. capital — money

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