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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stem — to come from
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. charge — a price
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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