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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. toast — bread
  4. season — in sport
  5. bore — to drill
  6. perch — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lie — to recline
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. season — of the year
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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