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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chest — a box
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. chest — of your body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. deal — to handle
  17. chest — of your body
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. season — of the year

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