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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — a path
  12. net — for catching
  13. track — a song
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — to sink
  16. track — to keep track
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. net — after costs
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fine — a penalty

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