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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bat — the animal
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mug — a cup
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bear — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. toast — bread
  24. mug — a face

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