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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. can — a tin
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. present — a gift
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bear — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — in football
  12. cell — a phone
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. cell — in biology
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. present — the time now
  19. chair — a leader
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bear — the animal

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