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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. staff — employees
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. staff — a stick
  11. spell — magic
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rock — music
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — letters
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rock — to move gently

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