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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mug — a face
  8. spring — the season
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mug — a cup
  13. spring — of water
  14. suit — in cards
  15. clip — for paper
  16. suit — to fit
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fork — in a road
  22. clip — a video
  23. mug — to rob
  24. clip — to cut

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