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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 124 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. season — of the year
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mug — a face
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. track — to keep track
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. season — in sport
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. land — to come down
  19. perch — the fish
  20. land — a country
  21. track — a song
  22. mug — to rob
  23. land — ground
  24. track — a path

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