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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 116 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: straw · present · wake · trunk · rest · track · perch · fork

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. present — the time now
  7. fork — in a road
  8. track — a song
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wake — a trail
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. track — a path
  16. rest — a break
  17. track — to keep track
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. present — there
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. present — a gift

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