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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — to go on
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. last — finally
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. field — farmland
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. field — for sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bore — to drill
  22. field — a subject
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bear — to put up with

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