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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. object — to protest
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. track — a path
  13. dip — to sink
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. track — to keep track
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. saw — the tool
  20. track — a song
  21. object — an aim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. saw — the tool

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