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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. hand — help
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. object — an aim
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. snap — to click
  18. pop — to visit
  19. vault — a safe
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. object — a thing
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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