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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — there
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chip — for betting
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. perch — the fish
  11. prune — to trim
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. present — the time now
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. present — a gift
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chip — to eat
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to click

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