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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spell — letters
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. spell — a short time
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. drill — army training
  15. spell — magic
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. perch — the fish
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. drill — the tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — clever

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