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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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 car
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. swing — music
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. dip — to sink
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rule — government
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. swing — to play on
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. capital — money
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. vault — a safe
  23. capital — a city
  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