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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cell — a phone
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cell — in biology
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. march — music
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lean — to bend
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — the underground
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bear — the animal

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