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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · perch · mouse · march · trunk · key · lean · stick

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. land — to come down
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. march — music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. perch — the fish
  15. land — ground
  16. march — the month
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — the month
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. key — for a lock
  21. land — a country
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — the most important part
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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