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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bear — the animal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. mug — a face
  5. land — ground
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bank — of a river
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — a measure
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mug — to rob
  22. land — a country
  23. date — the fruit
  24. land — to come down

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