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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tear — from crying
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mug — a face
  13. tear — to rip
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bat — 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