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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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — a short time
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. spell — letters
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. spell — magic

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