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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. last — final
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. perch — the fish
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. last — to go on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. last — finally
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pass — a permit

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