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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — an aim
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. saw — the tool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. object — a thing
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bear — the animal
  24. object — to protest

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