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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
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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: perch · pop · leaves · rush · present · trunk · toast · ball

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. present — there
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. ball — a dance
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. present — the time now
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. rush — hurry
  12. ball — a great time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. present — a gift
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pop — music
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pop — soda
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ball — a round shape
  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