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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. rush — hurry
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mark — a trace
  6. scale — in music
  7. court — of a king
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. court — for sport
  13. mark — a grade
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. branch — a division
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. court — of law

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