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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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. bank — of a river
  4. board — to get on
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mine — for digging
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a committee
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. clip — for paper
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. bank — for money
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bank — for money
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mine — an explosive

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