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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 116 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a trace
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. last — finally
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mark — a grade
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. land — ground
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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