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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. present — a gift
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bound — certain
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fork — a garden tool

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