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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — the season
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. capital — money
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. capital — a city
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. perch — the fish
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — to sink
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. fall — to drop
  24. capital — a big letter

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