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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. march — music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — to sink
  8. vault — a safe
  9. bound — certain
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. march — the month
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. perch — the fish
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. march — the month

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