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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. track — a song
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. game — a match
  7. shower — to wash
  8. dip — to sink
  9. track — to keep track
  10. shower — rain
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. track — a path
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. stem — to come from
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bear — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. game — wild animals

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