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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. court — of a king
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lean — to bend
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. field — for sport
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. field — farmland
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lean — thin
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. trunk — of a car

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