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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. game — a match
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. season — of the year
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bore — to drill
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bore — to tire
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. perch — the fish

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