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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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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: foot · toast · perch · rush · trunk · saw · lean · land

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. saw — the tool
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rush — hurry
  13. land — to come down
  14. toast — bread
  15. lean — to bend
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. land — a country
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. lean — thin
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. foot — a measure
  23. land — ground
  24. rush — to hurry

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