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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 124 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lean — thin
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. file — a document
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — to recline
  20. perch — the fish
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lie — an untruth

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