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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. 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. bear — the animal
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — steady
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — decided
  13. cue — for pool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. craft — boats
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. last — finally
  22. firm — a company
  23. last — final
  24. 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