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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. perch — the fish
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mate — a partner
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cap — of ice
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stock — goods
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stock — shares
  24. cabinet — ministers

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