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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bear — the animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. spell — letters
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spell — magic
  18. trunk — of a tree

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