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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. face — to point toward
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bore — to tire
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. season — of the year
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. face — to confront
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stem — to come from
  21. season — in sport
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bore — to drill

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