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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 116 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. perch — the fish
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. suit — clothes
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. suit — to fit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — in cards
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. clip — a video
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. clip — for paper
  24. clip — to cut

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