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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pit — a hole
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — the animal
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cap — of ice
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cap — a lid
  18. ground — a position
  19. spell — magic
  20. shower — to wash
  21. cap — a hat
  22. ground — crushed
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. ground — the earth

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