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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bark — to shout
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. bear — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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