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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · mark · leaves · cabinet · fine · trunk · scale · wave

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fine — all right
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mark — a grade
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. mark — a trace
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. perch — for a bird

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