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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.

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: trunk · mug · cap · leaves · clip · perch · bear · safe

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. perch — the fish
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. clip — a video
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cap — a lid
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mug — a face
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cap — of ice
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mug — to rob

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