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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. scale — in music
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — size or range
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. track — a path
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fine — high quality
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bear — the animal
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. track — a song
  24. fan — a supporter

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