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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. suit — to fit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lean — to bend
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. suit — clothes
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bat — the animal
  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