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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bank — for money
  9. bear — the animal
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. shower — rain
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bank — of a river
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  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