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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. pass — a permit
  5. object — a thing
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. field — a subject
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. field — farmland
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. field — for sport
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. dip — a sauce

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