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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wax — to grow
  3. board — a committee
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — to rob
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — to recline
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pop — soda
  19. mug — a face
  20. board — to get on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lie — an untruth

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