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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. race — a contest
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — after costs
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a committee
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. board — to get on
  16. net — for catching
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. net — in sport
  24. hide — animal skin

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