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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. board — to get on
  10. track — a path
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. track — to keep track
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. track — a song
  16. pass — a permit
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. lean — to bend
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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