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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. mark — a trace
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pop — music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mate — a partner
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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