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

Word bank: trunk · capital · wake · perch · lean · firm · can · date

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. lean — thin
  7. wake — a trail
  8. can — a tin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. firm — a company
  11. can — a tin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. date — the fruit
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. capital — a city
  21. firm — steady
  22. lean — to bend
  23. capital — money
  24. firm — decided

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