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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — an aim
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cell — in biology
  13. object — a thing
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fan — a supporter

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