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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. net — for catching
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. net — after costs
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. scale — size or range
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rash — a series
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. scale — in music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. net — in sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mine — for digging

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