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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ground — crushed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bear — the animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. prune — to trim
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. tube — a container
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. firm — decided
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. firm — a company

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