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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — of law
  13. degree — an amount
  14. can — a tin
  15. court — for sport
  16. degree — temperature
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — of a king
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. can — a tin
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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