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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: lash · cap · cell · perch · trunk · present · rule · row

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. present — a gift
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. row — a line
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cell — in biology
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. present — the time now
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rule — government
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. present — there
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. trunk — of a car

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