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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 common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. pop — soda
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. present — the time now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pound — a weight
  14. present — a gift
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. present — there
  18. pop — music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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