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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — a grade
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tube — a container
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spring — the season

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