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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 120 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chest — a box
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fall — to drop
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chest — of your body
  17. game — wild animals
  18. tube — a container
  19. mate — to breed
  20. game — a match
  21. chest — of your body
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bank — for money
  24. tube — in a tire

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