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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. suit — in cards
  6. deal — to handle
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — to paddle
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — of the year
  18. fine — all right
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fine — high quality
  22. season — in sport
  23. perch — the fish
  24. row — a quarrel

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