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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — to confront
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. firm — steady
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. firm — decided
  12. perch — the fish
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. face — to point toward
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. face — part of the head
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bear — to put up with

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