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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — a trail
  6. file — a document
  7. stock — shares
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — goods
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. charge — a price
  18. file — a tool
  19. charge — in control
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. charge — electricity

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