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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. last — finally
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. last — to go on
  7. tube — a container
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. last — final
  11. mug — a face
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. tube — the underground
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. arm — part of the body

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