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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chair — a leader
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. roll — a list
  14. roll — a cake
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bank — for money
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bank — for money
  24. bowl — to roll

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