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

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. swing — in golf
  3. cell — in biology
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. drill — a practice
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. firm — a company
  11. cell — a phone
  12. firm — steady
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. drill — the tool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. drill — army training
  22. firm — decided
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. swing — music

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