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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — a cup
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cell — a phone
  15. mug — a face
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cell — in biology
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mug — to rob
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bear — the animal

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