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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bear — the animal
  4. firm — a company
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. firm — decided
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. firm — steady
  10. shower — to wash
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — of water
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. current — electric
  20. race — a contest
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. shower — rain
  23. race — humankind
  24. current — happening now

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