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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. band — a ring
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — final
  15. staff — employees
  16. band — a music group
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — finally
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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