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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. game — a match
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. spring — a coil
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spring — the season
  21. toast — bread
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — a horse colour

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