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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bank — of a river
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bank — for money
  8. content — happy
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. track — to keep track
  12. toast — bread
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mug — to rob
  15. track — a song
  16. fall — to drop
  17. content — the amount
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. track — a path
  21. mug — a face
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bank — for money

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