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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. craft — boats
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. march — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — to sink
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. saw — the tool
  18. march — the month
  19. cap — of ice
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cap — a hat
  22. craft — a skill
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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