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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mate — a friend
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bear — the animal
  8. content — happy
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wind — moving air
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mate — a partner
  20. content — the amount
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mark — to pay attention

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