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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. can — to be able to
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spring — a coil
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. can — a tin
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chest — a box
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. trunk — of an elephant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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