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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: squash · perch · bay · mark · kid · trunk · craft · row

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. perch — the fish
  18. kid — child
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — boats
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. row — a line
  24. craft — a skill

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