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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. spring — of water
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. face — to confront
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. face — part of the head
  8. present — a gift
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. face — to point toward
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. present — there
  19. bear — the animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. tube — the underground
  22. spring — a coil
  23. roll — a list
  24. tube — a container

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