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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wake — a trail
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spring — the season
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. lean — thin
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. stock — shares
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bulb — for light

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