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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. present — the time now
  13. rock — music
  14. hand — help
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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