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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. last — final
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pop — to visit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. hand — in cards
  12. last — finally
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. last — to go on
  16. race — a contest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hand — help
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pop — soda
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. race — humankind
  24. hide — to keep secret

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