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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mug — a face
  5. spell — letters
  6. current — of water
  7. current — electric
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. field — a subject
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mug — a cup
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. field — farmland
  20. current — happening now
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. field — for sport

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