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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. prune — to trim
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. perch — the fish
  17. foot — a measure
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. toast — bread
  24. trunk — of a tree

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