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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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Word bank
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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bear — the animal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. spring — a coil
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a great time
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spring — of water
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. drill — a practice
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spring — the season
  21. track — a path
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — a song
  24. drill — army training

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