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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. spell — letters
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bear — the animal
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — in golf
  14. dip — to sink
  15. swing — to play on
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. spell — magic
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bore — to drill
  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