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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. content — happy
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — for dancing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. perch — the fish
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. club — a group
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. content — the amount

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