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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — to wash
  5. perch — the fish
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bore — to tire
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wake — a trail
  11. shower — rain
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. trunk — of a car
  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