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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 116 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. root — of a plant
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pass — a permit
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. perch — the fish
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. leaves — to go away
  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