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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fall — the season
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — the fish
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. can — a tin
  14. march — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — a strongbox

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