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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. perch — the fish
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pop — soda
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pop — to visit
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. game — a match
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lie — to recline

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