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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spring — the season
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — the time now
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. foot — a measure
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. present — a gift
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. present — there
  24. spring — of water

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