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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. net — in sport
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. staff — employees
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. file — a line of people
  12. toast — bread
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. snap — to click
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — employees
  19. bore — to tire
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. staff — a stick
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bore — to drill

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