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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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 tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. ball — a great time
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ball — a dance
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. present — there
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bat — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. patient — a sick person

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