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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bank — for money
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bank — of a river
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bank — for money
  18. land — to come down
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — a container
  21. land — a country
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. trunk — of a tree

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