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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. perch — the fish
  11. craft — boats
  12. content — the amount
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. toast — bread
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — child
  20. content — happy
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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