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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. band — a ring
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. perch — the fish
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. band — a music group
  8. stem — to come from
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. plane — a tool
  13. foot — a measure
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. season — of the year
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. season — in sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — to add flavour

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