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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — a measure
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — a trail
  15. current — happening now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cold — not warm
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. cold — an illness
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. trunk — of a tree

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