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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fine — high quality
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mate — a partner
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wind — moving air
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fine — all right
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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