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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chair — a leader
  4. ball — a great time
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. last — finally
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. stand — to bear
  20. last — final
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. last — to go on
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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