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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. roll — a list
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. dip — to sink
  6. last — finally
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. swing — to play on
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. last — to go on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stock — goods
  16. swing — music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. roll — a cake
  19. last — final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stock — shares
  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