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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bound — tied together
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — for betting
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. bound — certain
  13. chip — to eat
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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