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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — a stick
  3. toast — bread
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. season — in sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. season — of the year
  10. bank — for money
  11. staff — employees
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bank — for money
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bank — of a river
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. perch — the fish
  22. staff — employees
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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