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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wake — a trail
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. present — there
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — a practice
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. drill — army training

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