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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bore — to tire
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bore — to drill
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. prune — to trim
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wind — moving air

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