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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rash — hasty
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rash — a series
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. net — for catching
  14. vault — a safe
  15. net — after costs
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. temple — a place of worship

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