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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. dip — to sink
  8. fork — in a road
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bear — the animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. hand — in cards
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. kick — in football
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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