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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cold — an illness
  4. firm — a company
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. firm — decided
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bass — low music
  13. can — a tin
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. firm — steady
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. can — to be able to

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