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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.

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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wound — an injury
  8. board — a committee
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — to get on
  14. bear — the animal
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wound — an injury
  19. perch — the fish
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wave — with your hand

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