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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spring — a coil
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. spring — the season
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. spring — of water
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stock — shares
  19. ground — a position
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stock — goods
  24. lean — thin

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