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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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. row — to paddle
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mine — for digging
  14. row — a line
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wax — to grow
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wake — a trail
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. row — a quarrel

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