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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — employees
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. staff — a stick
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — to trim
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. lie — to recline
  14. staff — employees
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cell — a phone
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. perch — the fish
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cell — in biology

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