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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mate — to breed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — to handle
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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