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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. can — to be able to
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. can — a tin
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — finally
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — the fish
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pit — a hole

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