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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. row — to paddle
  4. dip — to sink
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bear — the animal
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fine — high quality
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fine — all right
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. row — a line
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bear — to put up with

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