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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. chest — a box
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. perch — the fish
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — to fit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mate — a partner
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. cold — not warm
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mate — a friend
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. cold — an illness
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rush — hurry

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