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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. land — a country
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mate — a friend
  7. land — ground
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mate — to breed
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. can — a tin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. land — to come down
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. can — a tin
  20. perch — the fish
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pit — a hole

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