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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. date — the fruit
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — decided
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chair — a leader
  15. firm — steady
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. firm — a company

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