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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. press — to push

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