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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — the fish
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stem — to come from
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stem — a stem cell

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