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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kid — child
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. perch — the fish
  7. rest — what's left
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. toast — bread
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rest — a break
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. kid — to tease
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — to tire
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bore — to drill
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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