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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kid — child
  3. perch — the fish
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. kid — to tease
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. can — a tin
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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