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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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 fruit stone
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. branch — a division
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. stem — to come from
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. rush — hurry
  21. dip — to sink
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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