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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: kick · foot · firm · trunk · mate · wound · cue · perch

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cue — for pool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mate — a partner
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cue — a hint
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. mate — a friend
  17. kick — in football
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — a signal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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