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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pop — music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. perch — the fish
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pop — soda
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pop — to visit
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — to drill

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