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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. charge — a price
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bear — the animal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — in football
  13. charge — in control
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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