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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mate — a friend
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. staff — employees
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spring — the season
  11. staff — employees
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spring — of water
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stock — shares
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stock — goods
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mate — a partner
  21. spring — a coil
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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