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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kid — to tease
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kid — child
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lie — to recline
  20. snap — to click
  21. wound — an injury
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wound — an injury
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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