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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. band — a ring
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bark — to shout
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. perch — the fish
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. band — a rubber band

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