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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pop — music
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pop — soda
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — the fish
  24. coach — a trainer

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